This Game Called Love
by angelfallenspirit
Summary: Ayano would do anything to gain his love. She would even kill those who went near him. It didn't matter how over the top or gruesome her methods were, she just needed to ensure she was the only one left who could earn his affection.
1. Chapter 1

'I would be happy if something bad happened to Osana-chan.'

Those words repeated themselves in Ayano's head over and over as she remained hunched over her bedroom table, pencil scrawling frantically over the sheet of paper before her. The only source of light in the dark room was her small desk lamp, illuminating most of her workplace. The soft glow was reflected in her gray, emotionless eyes, which were completely engrossed in the work before her.

This. All of this. Her masterful, genius plan, was finally coming to fruition. Ever since Ayano had first been contacted by the girl known around school by the name of "Info-chan" only a few days ago, hundreds of thoughts had been racing through her head, all of them involving protecting her beloved senpai.

And eliminating the problem known as Osana Najimi.

Osana didn't deserve Taro-kun. No one else did. Ayano wanted him. Needed him. Craved him. There was no one else in the world who wanted her senpai the same way she did. She needed that warmth and happiness he brought into her life more than oxygen. Just the thought of him alone had her hand moving faster across the page.

'I think you might be the right person to give her what she deserves.'

She was. Ayano definitely was. Her mind could come up with so many thoughts others would consider "deranged" or "psychotic," but to her she was just doing whatever was necessary to keep others away from the one she loved.

Taro belonged to her.

**He didn't have a choice.**

With that final thought, Ayano finished the complex sketch. Putting her pencil down, she looked it over with careful eyes, admiring every detail. The girl had poured hours upon hours into this, and now that it was finally complete…

As she leaned back in her chair, she could almost recall that sensation of "happiness" from back when she'd first laid eyes on Taro-kun. It had been warm, uplifting, and brought color into her dull, stagnant world. She wanted to keep those sensations forever and ever. And this plan of hers was going to help. After staring at her bedroom ceiling for a few seconds, her eyes went to her cellphone, which she soon picked up. The message which she sent consisted of only two words:

\- It's ready.

It didn't take long for Into-chan's response to come through.

\- Excellent. I am interested to see what you have planned for our dear Osana-chan.

Curiosity. Another emotion she'd heard before. Ayano could only assume it was similar to joy or excitement, at least in this context… She quickly went back to typing.

\- I only require one last thing.

Info-chan's response took longer this time. Head there been a moment of… hesitation?

\- Name it.

Ayano glanced back at her desk, eyeing both the sketch she'd finished plus pages of notes listing more details about the drawing. This was something she couldn't execute by herself.

\- I need someone who's good with building… unusual contraptions.

Only the slow, meticulous ticking of her bedside clock echoed in the silence as Ayano stared at her screen, waiting. Waiting…

And then-

\- That can be arranged. I can send you her information and you two can meet up after school tomorrow. Sound good?

Tomorrow. Monday. That left her just five days until Osana would attempt to confess her love to Senpai underneath the cherry tree outside of the school.

Ayano didn't hesitate.

\- Yes.

\- Perfect. Pleasure doing business with you, Yan-chan.

A smile began to tug at Ayano's lips. People smiled in moments like this, right? When things were going the way they wanted? The girl put her phone back on her desk and soon reached down to open the lowest drawer.

"Yes, Info-chan." She opened the drawer slowly. Inside was a white mask decorated with small red swirls on both cheeks. Enough space was cut out so that most of the lower half of her face would be exposed when she wore it. Beside it was a grayscale palette of eyeshadow and a stick of dark red lipstick.

"Pleasure."


	2. Chapter 2

"You dummy! Did you oversleep again?!"

Osana's voice was grating in Ayano's ears. Just the mere sight of the orange-haired girl had her clenching her fists.

"You always keep me waiting!"

How Ayano wished she could silence that mouth. Nobody talked to her senpai like that.

Her eyes soon went over to Taro. That handsome young man, the one who brought Ayano warmth and color and feeling. Even now, as she peered at him from behind the bush, she could reclaim just some of those wonderful sensations. It was all she could focus on. If senpai was hers, she would be nothing like Osana-chan. She would never berate Taro-kun. She would love him, cherish him, treat him like a prince. No, a king! He was practically her whole world, her soul reason for being alive-!

"Anyway, I want you to meet me on the school rooftop at lunchtime. Got it?"

Those words from Osana snapped Ayano out of her thoughts. What? She wanted to meet with him? In a place where they were going to be alone?

A puzzled expression crossed Taro's face. "...Why?"

"Stop being so difficult!" Osana replied, raising her voice in a demanding tone once again. "Just be there, all right? And don't keep me waiting!"

Ayano's hands clenched into fists again. No… no, Taro-kun couldn't do this. Osana didn't deserve private time with him! Tell her no. Just tell her no…

"Okay, okay. I'll be there."

Osana beamed, seemingly overjoyed. "Good!"

No, not good, Ayano thought to herself, watching the two of them as they joined the multitude of other students on their way to class. Not good. Horrible.

Stepping out from behind the bush, Ayano took a slow breath to calm herself. Yes, it was certainly horrible. Which is why it would be all the more satisfying once her plan was finally executed. She just needed to get through this school day and find the girl Info-chan had spoken about last night. Readjusting the backpack on her shoulders, she too proceeded to join the other students as they entered the building. Nobody paid Ayano-chan any mind as she made her wat to her locker, and neither did she. In fact, the girl was certain that she could walk through these halls with a knife and nobody would notice.

Of course, that had yet to actually be tested. But a mere kitchen knife would not be enough to deal with this issue. No, the problem that was Osana-chan needed something more elaborate. Something that would really emphasize just how much her life was on the line. And Ayano's little contraption was going to help with that.

She glanced at the information Info-chan had texted her last night as she made her way to her classroom. The female student in particular wasn't someone she was all that familiar with. But she certainly seemed capable of doing what Ayano needed.

The only question that remained was… would she be willing?

Ayano frowned to herself as she took a seat at her desk in the middle of the third row. If this girl refused to help…

Her hands clenched into fists. Well, it could certainly make reclaiming senpai more… difficult.

No matter. Ayano would figure out how to deal with it when the time came. In the meantime, she would simply wait.

The first class of the day was language. The other students all appeared disinterested and bored, and Ayano quickly proceeded to mimic them. Pretending was a skill she'd picked up and worked to perfect from an early age. Even if she couldn't feel most emotions, that didn't mean she still couldn't identify and imitate them.

Afterward came literature. This time, Ayano chose to appear just slightly more interested. They were starting a new book today, a foreign novel translated into Japanese. "The Hunchback of Notre Dame," right? Everyone in the classroom watched as the teacher wrote a short sentence in Japanese characters on the chalkboard at the front of the room.

"'Love is like a tree,'" Fuka-sensei declared, reading off what she had written. She then turned to meet the eyes of her students. "Can anyone tell me what they think this is trying to say?"

A couple of students raised their hands. Ayano simply stared at the chalkboard, focused on that first word. Love…

"Yes, Daku?"

A boy two seats in front of Ayano spoke up. "Love is grand?"

Fuka-sensei nodded before turning to write "grand" on the blackboard. She then turned her attention to another student with their hand raised. "Seiyo?"

"Love is resilient."

That word, "resilient," was soon written on the board as well. "Excellent. Anyone else?" Her eyes scanned the classroom before suddenly stopping. "Ayano?"

"Huh?" Ayano sat up straighter, having been so caught up in her own thoughts that she hadn't realized what was happening.

Fuka-sensei's expression was calm as she repeated herself. "Could you please tell us what you think this quote says about love?"

"Love…" Ayano loved Taro, more than anything else in the world. How could she possibly convey everything she knew about it into one single word?

"Love is…" She paused, and for a moment a smile nearly crossed her face. "...wonderful."

A scoff was soon heard from Ayano's left after she had given her answer.

"That doesn't connect to the tree part at all."

Ayano frowned, turning her head to look at the girl next to her. Hana Diadiayama. One of the bullies at Academi High and an absolute phone addict. She was known to take photos of everything that could be spread as gossip. Classtime seemed to be one of the only times her face wasn't buried in her cellphone.

A more timid voice soon spoke up from the front of the classroom, drawing Ayano's attention away from Hana.

"I, um… I-I think it works with… with the tree." The girl was short, with her pink hair put up in two small pigtails. "Like… the cherry tree outside school. I think it's wonderful. So… s-so love can be beautiful and wonderful like the cherry blossom tree." She blushed, clearly feeling awkward.

Fuka-sensei smiled at the girl and nodded. "Very good, Sakura. And a very nice connection to our own school." She proceeded to write both "wonderful" and "beautiful" on the board before continuing to write more of the quote. "The very concept of what love is is explored repeatedly throughout this book. It can be grand, it can be beautiful, it can most certainly be wonderful." Upon finishing, she finally turned to look back at the class. "But it can also be dangerous."

Now the entire quote on the board read:

"Love is like a tree: it grows by itself, roots itself deeply in our being and continues to flourish over a heart in ruin. The inexplicable fact is that the blinder it is, the more tenacious it is. It is never stronger than when it is completely unreasonable."

"Love, specifically unrequited love, will be the driving force for many of the characters in this book. For some, it will get to the point of complete obsession." The teacher once again had her full attention on the entire class. "And that is when love becomes the most dangerous."

But Ayano had stopped listening before long. She didn't care about how the world saw her and her love for senpai. All she knew was that she needed Taro in her life. And when they were finally together, everything would be beautiful. Everything would be grand.

Everything would be wonderful.

* * *

The next bell that rang signaled to all the students that it was lunchtime, causing everyone to bolt up from their seats. Ayano especially was eager to exit the classroom, recalling the exchange between Taro and Osana earlier that morning.

"Um… excuse me, Yan-chan?"

She stopped just before reaching the door and turned to see who had spoken. Immediately, she saw that it was Sakura. The girl was staring at her with her head tilted towards the floor, feet slightly together. Ayano tried to recognize the emotion. Sakura had a case of… what was it again? Shyness?

Sakura shuffled a little closer, her brows furrowing just slightly. "I, um… I'm sorry about Hana-chan earlier."

As if on cue, Ayano felt herself being pushed out of the way as Hana bumped into her while walking by. The girl's attention remained solely on her phone despite this, even as she nearly bumped into some other poor unsuspecting students in the hall as well.

Ayano watched with a somewhat blank expression as Hana disappeared around the corner before returning her attention to Sakura. "It's fine."

The pink-haired girl took a slight step closer. "I thought… the answer you gave was lovely."

"Really, Sakura-chan. It's okay." Ayano took a small step back, eyes glancing anxiously at the clock. She needed to get to the school roof. She needed to know what Osana and Taro were doing. "It's honestly nothing to worry about."

Sakura was silent for a couple seconds, as if contemplating her own thoughts. "O-okay," she said finally. "If you say so. Sorry about being so awkward."

Ayano quickly put a smile on her face. "It's okay. I understand." In reality, she didn't really understand at all. Ayano had always been very direct and upfront about things. Awkwardness was something she'd never really dealt with.

Another quick glance at the clock and Ayano was already hurrying towards the rooftop before Sakura could say anything else, disregarding any other students who crossed her path. No matter what, she had to see her senpai.

The sunlight was warm as she burst through the doorway, immediately glancing at her surroundings. Where was he? Where was Taro?!

"Hey, Osana. I'm here, just like you asked."

His voice. Ayano gave a gasp upon hearing him and immediately scrambled behind the nearest wall. Cautiously peering out from behind the corner, she watched as senpai made his way over to where Osana was standing near the bench.

Osana's face was devoid of her usual overbearing expression as she turned her head away slightly, holding something small and square out to Taro.

"H-here…" Her voice was surprisingly timid. Was she… nervous?

"What's this?"

Taro's question seemed to cause her usual snappish attitude to return.

"It's a bento, stupid!"

Ayano's eyes widened. She made him… food?

"You made me lunch?" Taro's surprised response echoed Ayano's thoughts.

Osana's body grew a little tenser as her nervousness grew. "D-don't get the wrong idea! I didn't make it for you! I just… made too much food this morning." She held the bento box out again. "S-so you can have the extras…"

Taro's face seemed to light up with delight, causing Ayano to feel more and more frustrated the longer she watched him and Osana enjoy lunch together. Why did he have to be so happy with someone who could never love him as much as she could?! Ayano could cook for him every day, make him happy every day. And she would never complain about it.

His face… Senpai's happy face… Quickly, Ayano took out her phone and snapped a photo of her beloved. That was going up in her room later.

* * *

Taro's smile. The way he seemed so delighted to spend time with Osana. All of it remained at the forefront of Ayano's mind throughout the rest of the school day, diverting her attention away from her classes. It made her so furious. She would've forgotten about the mysterious girl she was supposed to meet up with had it not been for the text she received from Info-chan the moment she set foot out of her classroom:

\- She's by the east wall.

The east wall. Where the furnace was…

A few seconds later, another text:

\- Don't worry. The delinquents aren't there.

Ayano hadn't been worried at all, but it was nice to know. Now she could meet up with this girl and not have to worry about any interruptions. After typing out a short response to Info-chan, she proceeded to make her way through the halls to her locker. Upon opening it, she reached into her bag and replaced the books in her hands with a simple white folder full of papers.

She snuck another quick glance at the clock. She had time, but would have to make things quick before club activities would start. Without wasting another moment, Ayano hurried out the door, eager to meet the one who could help her.

Her pace slowed as she finally reached the location Info-chan spoke of. Just as the text had stated, there was someone present. She was seated against the wall, gaze focused solely on her cellphone. Her attention never wavered even as Ayano approached.

Taking out her own cellphone, Ayano quickly pulled up the information she'd received last night. The picture matched the girl exactly: pale skin, long wavy blue hair, and dark eyes framed by square glasses. She glanced at the name next to it.

"...You're Yuriko Kurafuto?"

No response. The blue-haired girl merely continued to type on her phone. Ayano scrolled down to read more.

"Second-year student. Only child. Age sixteen. Kicked out of the science club for creating contraptions that were deemed far too dangerous."

Again, silence. Ayano frowned. This wasn't going the way she'd hoped. Why wouldn't this girl talk?!

All of a sudden, Ayano's phone vibrated, and when she checked her messages she saw she had a new text from a number she did not recognize. It read:

\- Ayano Aishi. Second-year. Member of the drama club. Has a crush on upperclassman Taro Yamada.

\- Info-chan told me about you

She did, huh? Figures. Ayano lifted her gaze. "So you know why I need your help?"

By now Yuriko had ceased her typing, but even then Ayano got no verbal response from her. Her gaze continued to be glued to her screen, blank expression remaining unchanged.

Ayano gave a sigh, beginning to get frustrated with this Yuriko girl. But soon, an idea struck her. If she wouldn't give answers verbally, then maybe… She quickly typed out the question she'd spoken moments earlier and sent the text.

Yuriko's fingers proceeded to type again, and a few moments later Ayano got a text in response.

\- Yes. You need help dealing with Osana Najimi.

\- Info-chan told me you have something you need built.

Upon reading those words, Ayano's grip on the white folder she was holding tightened slightly with eagerness. Without hesitation, she handed it over to Yuriko and watched as she began to look through the contents inside. After a while, Ayano sent another text.

\- Can you build it?

Yuriko glanced through the collection of notes and drawings one last time before responding.

\- Give me until Thursday. It'll be done.

A smile crossed Ayano's face upon reading those words.

\- Perfect. Thank you.

Yuriko sent another text soon after.

\- You're welcome. Now, could you explain this contraption to me in a bit more detail? So I can get a better idea as to how you want it to work.

Still smiling, Ayano took her seat next to Yuriko against the wall. Before long, she began to type again.

\- Think of it like a reverse bear trap.


End file.
